Much as they irritated me at times (deliberately setting out to use good looks [short shorts etc] to get ahead on so many occasions); on merit (tenacity, ability etc), the girls (Sam and Renae) should have won ‘Amazing Race Australia’ ahead of the blokes; especially considering the much higher number of tasks/challenges that favoured blokes rather than women – from heavy lifting to handling spiky Durians. But ultimately it was the team most desperate to win who did – the ‘surfers’ Tyler and Nathan.
I hope a couple of bushies (‘farmers’, stockmen, ringers, ‘cowboys’ etc) are competing in Amazing Race Australia in 2012, although Matt Nunn and Tom Warriner would be a very hard act to follow. Blog and forum comments all over the internet show how highly regarded the ‘farmers’ (‘cowboys’) were by all and sundry. It is doubtful that bushies would ever win this type of race because to do so, a degree of ruthlessness is required that is more commonly found in the largest cities and virtually non-existent in rural Australia, where people exhibiting cut throat behaviour are ostracised. In rural Australia, long term survival (mentally and on the business front) means keeping on good terms with others. Also, it is obvious that almost invariably the people who will win a race such as this will be those who are the most desperate to win the money – to the point of being prepared to do almost anything to win. People living in regional Australia invariably do not have pursuit of money (at any cost) as their number one goal in life; again, it’s a trait most often found in the largest cities.
Two particular challenges on the final episode last night would deter many would-be contestants for the 2012 series of Amazing Race Australia. The stair up & down exercise (to level 55, down then back up to level 56 and down again – under pressure) or tightrope walk 200m above Singapore, across and back between two buildings. Only the insane or madly desperate for money would attempt such a thing . Then contestants had to be cool and calm enough to put 12 flags in order of countries visited; mentally cruel, at the very end of such gruelling travel and at the end of such a high pressure day. The only reason there were no real contestant hissy fits is because all the prime hissy-fitters were eliminated in the early episodes – the last 4 pairs of contestants were notable for the lack of arguments and dramas.
It would have been so much more interesting watching if Matt and Tom had been in the final last night. We look forward to seeing if bushies will appear in Amazing Race Australia 2012.
Tags: Living in the country and remote areas, Image of the bush, Australian outback TV and film